- By KYLE ODEGARD Capital Press
- Dec 20, 2023 Updated Dec 20, 2023
- https://www.capitalpress.com/state/california/2-million-california-birds-killed-in-one-week-due-to-bird-flu/article_40c1c67e-9fa1-11ee-b307-9f655e7ac0b8.html
More than 2 million birds in California were euthanized during the week after their flocks became infected with avian influenza, according to USDA data from Dec. 13-19.
The outbreaks nearly doubled the number of birds affected in backyard and commercial flocks in California.
Detections of highly pathogenic bird flu were made in seven separate instances during that span.
The largest was on Dec. 13 at a Merced County commercial egg operation, where 1.36 million birds were killed.
Other detections in California, according to state and USDA data were: a Merced County commercial broiler production on Dec. 13 (183,100 birds); a San Joaquin County commercial duck breeder on Dec. 13 (6,000 birds); a Sonoma County commercial table egg layer facility on Dec. 18 (498,000 birds); a Sonoma County poultry flock on Dec. 18 (39,000 birds); a Sonoma County duck meat farm on Dec. 19 (3,500 birds); and a backyard non-poultry flock in Lassen County (30 birds).
Other Western states
During the same week, Idaho had one instance of avian influenza, on Dec. 15 in Latah County, where a backyard chicken flock of 200 birds was euthanized.
Oregon also had one instance, in Clatsop County on Dec. 14, with 30 non-poultry birds in a backyard flock.
Benton County, Oregon also had a recent detection in a non-poultry backyard flock of about 50 birds on Dec. 20.
Washington had no new cases of avian influenza during the week of Dec. 13-19.
California also had two outbreaks recorded on Dec. 20, according to the USDA.
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One was a commercial table egg layer with 243,000 birds, and the other was a commercial turkey meat farm with 74,000 birds. Both were in Merced County.
Overall cases for states
Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been spreading across the world since February 2022 and is widespread in wild birds.
Since the start of the global outbreak, California has had 4.55 million birds euthanized in 55 instances of bird flu in flocks — 33 in commercial operations, and 22 backyard flocks, according to USDA data as of Dec. 21.
Washington has had 1.02 million birds killed after detections of avian influenza in one commercial operation and 44 backyard flocks.
Oregon has had 756,000 birds euthanized, with infections in two commercial entities and 35 backyard flocks.
Idaho has had 10,500 birds killed and bird flu has been detected in one commercial flock and 34 backyard flocks.
According to USDA figures on Dec. 21, 77.2 million birds have been affected by avian influenza detections in 1,044 flocks in 47 states. Of those, 441 flocks have been commercial operations.
Avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or egg products, which remain safe. HPAI is also considered low risk to human health, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
According to the World Health Organization, the avian flu outbreaks pose ongoing risk to humans as the virus has infected mammals more closely linked to people than birds.
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